HAYDEN PANETTIERE LANDS ROLE TO PLAY AMANDA KNOX

Lifetime Television is set to produce a made-for-TV movie about Amanda Knox, the American exchange student convicted of murdering Meredith Kercher, her British roommate, while studying abroad in Italy, and they already have their star – Heroes actress Hayden Panettiere!

According to the New York Post, the 21-year-old actress will play the Seattle native in the movie which is slated to air in 2011 on the women’s cable network.

Hayden beat out some stiff competition from a host of big name actresses, including Kristen Stewart, Lindsay Lohan and Megan Fox, to land the role of Miss Knox, which received a lot of interest due to the high profile of the case.

As you may recall, Amanda and her 23-year-old Italian boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito were found guilty of murdering Kercher, a 21-year-old exchange student from England, and were sentenced to over 20 years in prison despite prosecutors’ pleas for a life sentence.

Judges who convicted the-then 20-year-old believed she took part in a sex game with Sollecito and Guede which led to Meredith’s throat being cut.

Knox’s appeal against her conviction is expected to be heard in November. Her attorneys will argue that the DNA evidence presented at her trial was flawed.